A convenient gram-scale synthesis of uridine diphospho(13C6)glucose.

A simple gram-scale synthesis of uridine diphospho(13C6)glucose is presented from D-(13C6)glucose. The critical step uses a 1H-tetrazole-catalyzed coupling of 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-1-phosphate and UMP-morpholidate. The uridine diphospho(13C6)glucose was used in the structural identification of (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan from Lolium multiflorum.